Portlander Vickie Valdez with the pheasant she took at an ODFW workshop. She had never even held a firearm before she took the class.

SALEM, Ore.—Portlander Vickie Valdez had never shot a gun before when she decided she wanted to learn how to hunt. She chose an ODFW pheasant hunting workshop to get started—and went home with a pheasant her very first day.

“I had never even held a gun before, so I wanted to know I was learning good habits and responsible practices from the start,” Valdez told ODFW. “I appreciated ODFW’s emphasis on safety and the individual guidance we received during the shooting practice. I actually hit most of my clays, and felt that I was given plenty of practice and was prepared to hunt.”

“The instructor even talked me through the cleaning of the bird, and was patient and kind when I got a little overwhelmed as it was the first time I’d cleaned an animal,” Valdez added.

ODFW is offering another five hunting workshops for adults and families in the Portland, Corvallis and Central Point area this fall. These workshops are perfect for beginners or people getting back to hunting after an absence. Instructors emphasize safety and fun and provide all necessary equipment, including firearms, eye and ear protection and hunter orange clothing. Trained hunting dogs and guides accompany hunters, increasing participants’ chances of success and allowing them to see these special dogs at work.

The workshops cost just $52 for adults and $12 for children with paying adult, plus the cost of a hunting license ($29.50 for adults/$14.50 for children) and upland bird validation ($8.50), which must be purchased prior to the class.

Youth ages 9-13 who haven’t yet been certified in hunter education may hunt at the Family Workshops under the Mentored Youth Hunter program.

New this year, participants in the September Family and Women’s Pheasant Hunting Workshops will be required to take a Basic Shotgunning Skills Class before the event. This will allow participants (and dogs) to start hunting earlier and be done before the heat of the day.